Gillian Leigh Anderson (born August 9, 1968) is an Emmy, Golden Globe, and SAG winning American actress, best known for her roles as FBI Special Agent Dana Scully in the American TV series The X-Files, Moro in the English dub of Princess Mononoke, Lily Bart in The House of Mirth and Lady Dedlock in the BBC TV series Bleak House.

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Anderson moved to New York when she was 20 years old. To support herself when she started her career, Anderson worked as a waitress. She began her career in Alan Ayckbourn’s play, Absent Friends at the Manhattan Theatre Club alongside Brenda Blethyn; she won the 1990-91 Theatre World “Newcomer” Award for her role. Her next theatrical role was in Christopher Hampton’s The Philanthropist at the Long Wharf Theatre in New Haven, Connecticut.

Anderson moved to Los Angeles in 1992, spending a year auditioning. Although she had once vowed she would never do TV, being out of work for a year changed her mind. Anderson did Home Fires Burning for a cable station, as well as the audio book version of Exit to Eden. She broke into mainstream television in 1993, with a guest appearance on the collegiate drama, Class of ’96, on the fledgling Fox Network.

As a result of her guest appearance in Class of 96, Anderson was sent the script for The X Files at the age of 24. She decided to audition because “for the first time in a long time, the script involved a strong, independent, intelligent woman as a lead character.” Producer Chris Carter wanted to employ her, but Fox wanted someone with previous TV exposure and greater sex appeal. Fox sent in more actresses, but Carter stood by Anderson, and she was eventually cast as Special Agent Dana Scully. Anderson got the part assuming it would run for 13 episodes, the standard minimum order for American TV networks. Filmed in Vancouver and then in Los Angeles, the series would run for nine seasons, and included two films, released in 1998 and 2008. During her time on The X Files, Anderson won several awards for her portrayal of Special Agent Scully, including an Emmy Award, Golden Globe and two Screen Actors Guild awards for “Best Actress in a Drama Series.” While filming, Anderson met assistant art director Clyde Klotz, whom she would eventually marry.

Anderson had roles in a handful of films during the run of The X-Files and starred in The House of Mirth, an adaptation of the Edith Wharton novel of the same name.

In 1999, Anderson had a supporting role in the English-language release of Hayao Miyazaki’s Princess Mononoke, where she voiced the character of Moro. Anderson is a proclaimed lover of Miyazaki’s work. She also took part in Eve Ensler’s The Vagina Monologues.

When The X-Files ended, Anderson performed in several stage productions and worked on various film projects. She has participated in narrative work for documentaries on scientific topics. In 2005, she appeared as Lady Dedlock in the BBC television adaptation of Charles Dickens’ novel Bleak House, had a starring role in the Irish film The Mighty Celt (for which she won an IFTA award for Best International Actress) and performed in A Cock and Bull Story, a film version of the novel Tristram Shandy.

In 2006, Anderson was nominated for a British Academy Television Award (BAFTA) for Best Actress and won the Broadcasting Press Guild Television and Radio Award for Best Actress for her role in Bleak House. Anderson also received an Emmy nomination for “Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or Movie” for her performance as Lady Dedlock. Furthermore, she was nominated for a Golden Satellite Award and Golden Globe for her performance in Bleak House and came in second place in the Best Actress category of the 2005 BBC Drama website poll for her performance as Lady Dedlock (Billie Piper came in first and Anna Maxwell Martin came in third).

During 2006 and 2007, Anderson appeared in two British films: The Last King of Scotland (2006) and Straightheads (2007).

In December 2007, it was announced that Anderson will host PBS’ Masterpiece Theatre during the Jane Austen series.

On December 10, 2007, Anderson began filming for The X-Files: I Want to Believe. Filming concluded on March 11, 2008. The movie was released on July 25, 2008, with a DVD released on December 2, 2008.

Gillian will portray Nora in Ibsen’s A Doll’s House at the Donmar Warehouse in London’s West End for a limited engagement running from May 14, 2009 until July 18, 2009.

Trivia:

Chosen by “People” magazine as one of the 50 Most Beautiful People in the World. [1997]

27"x40" Gillian Anderson Posing in Bed

Says her favorite film is Wallace & Gromit in The Wrong Trousers (1993). [1996]

Was voted “Most Likely to be Arrested” by her classmates in high school, and was, in fact, arrested on graduation night for trying to glue the locks shut at her high school.

In high school, was voted “Class Clown” and “Most Bizarre Girl”.

Lived in London, England, from age 2 to age 11, then moved to Grand Rapids, Michigan, where she was teased for her English accent.

Went to the Goodman Theater School of Drama at DePaul University in Chicago, where she earned a degree in fine arts. One of her classmates was Nina Siemaszko.

Gained her first real break when she replaced Mary-Louise Parker in the play “The Philanthropist.”

Told “The X Files” (1993) executives that she was 27 so that she would appear more credible as an FBI agent with a medical degree.

Kept her daughter, Piper, completely hidden from the public until they both appeared in Joan Ostin’s book, “Celebrity Moms” and the April 2001 issue of “In Style Magazine”.

Graduated from City High School, Grand Rapids, Michigan.

Piper Maru, her daughter, was the inspiration for the title of an “The X Files” (1993) episode introducing the famous black oil in the series.

Standing at just 5′ 3″, she has to stand on an apple box to shoot many scenes in “The X Files” (1993).

As a teen, her favorite bands included Skinny Puppy and Dead Kennedys.

In 2003, she won the Whatsonstage.com Theatregoers’ Choice Best Actress Award for her West End debut in Michael Weller’s two-hander, What the Night Is For.

Presented the best designer award at the 51st Evening Standard Theatre Awards (2005).

Is an avid art collector. Her collection includes work from such artists as Diane Arbus, Francesco Clemente and Kiki Smith.

Parents left US for London when she was 2. The family moved back to the US when she was 11. She relocated to London again, as an adult, in 2002. As of May 2006, she still lives there with her daughter.

Of the 5 actresses nominated for an Emmy as “Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or Movie” in 2006, she was the only one who hasn’t been nominated for an Oscar

Chosen by Australian men magazine Zoo weekly as one of the “Top 50 Hottest Babes Ever”. [March 2006]

Youngest actress – at the age of 29 years old in 1997 – to win Outstanding Lead Actress in a Primetime Drama Series Emmy Award since Lindsay Wagner won at the age of 28 in 1977.